


Routine

by elizabethnotbennet



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, i guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 07:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24467035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizabethnotbennet/pseuds/elizabethnotbennet
Summary: Every day had been the same for Hermione. While heading towards the door with one of her parents, the other would call out “Darling, haven’t you forgotten something?” The response was always a sickeningly sweet kiss. As a child, she had thought it way too cutesy, but over time she’d come to wish for it.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 8
Kudos: 87
Collections: Hearts and Cauldrons Discord Members





	Routine

**Author's Note:**

> PinkCripps was kind enough to beta this story for me, but any mistakes that are still here are completely my own. I *did* edit this at 2:20 am.

Growing up, every single day started the same for Hermione. She’d eat breakfast, change clothes, brush her teeth, and gather her books. While heading towards the door with one of her parents, the other would call out “Darling, haven’t you forgotten something?” The response was always a sickeningly sweet kiss. As a child, she had thought it _way_ too cutesy, but over time she’d come to wish for it. 

During the war and after it, while she’d worked towards getting her parents back, that was one of the most painful memories for her. Even though it had always been a moment filled with happiness and love from her parents, and occasionally exasperation from her, now it only reminded Hermione of what she didn’t have. 

It was also the thing tha gave her hope when she’d first found her parents. She had watched them from afar at first, and every day when she saw them doing things she’d never thought they would, it broke her spirit a bit. Her father was working a generic job on a multinational, when before he had been so passionate about being a health professional. Her almost-radical feminist mother stayed at home. Which wouldn’t necessarily be an anti- feminist thing, mind you, but Hermione had never known her mom to want that life for herself. Dr Susan Granger hated house work with a passion, and was extremely involved in the community around her. Hermione grew up going to soup kitchens and volunteering for the local church, watching her mother make protest signs and marching in pride parades. Monica Wilkings stayed inside her house spending dull hours cooking meals and dusting shelves. In the month Hermione had spent watching them, never once did her mother hold a conversation that was over a minute long with any of her neighbors.

On the third week, when Hermione was losing hope of ever seeing anything familiar on the couple beyond their faces, she’d heard it. Wendell Wilkins had gotten to the porch when a voice came from the inside of the house, “Haven’t you forgotten something, sweetheart?” . Hermione felt a torrent wave of relief and hope rip through her as she watched them kiss, leaving her exposed in its wake. Biting her hand to stifle her sobs, she had hastily apparated to her rental flat and flooed Harry in order to put her plan in motion. 

A memory charm, cries of disbelief, and many joyful tears later, Hermione was privileged to see the scene repeat itself over and over again in the months she’d stayed home with her parents. And after three years and a double mastery, she went back to Hogwarts to start her new career. A _professor_. She could barely contain her excitement. On September the third, 2001, Hermione woke early. _Extremely_ early. She’d never before seen the Great Hall empty as it was when she’d walked in at 5:23 am. A house elf had popped up beside her and asked if there was a problem. She’d embarrassingly learned that breakfast wouldn’t be for another 47 minutes yet. Afte using the early morning hours to slowly eat her breakfast, take a leisurely stroll through the hallways, and generally stall as much as she could, she headed to the staff room. She had a while before her first class, so after nine it was just her and Severus in the room. 

They’d become fast friends in the years after the war, when she’d been an apprentice with the school. He hadn’t been exactly warm and welcoming at first, but Hermione was nothing if not stubborn. Right now they weren’t talking much, but there was an easy silence going. Severus was reading his potions journal while running occasional commentary, and Hermione was working on the crosswords puzzle in her muggle paper as she fretted over her first day. She had attempted to study her notes —yes, she’d taken notes for a class she was teaching, she liked to be _prepared_ , thank you very much— but Severus had quickly taken those away from her with an exasperated huff. 

Twenty minutes before the bell rang, Hermione said her goodbyes and gathered her things. Before she could take her second step, Severus called from his chair. 

“Have you forgotten anything, Professor Granger?” Hermione could not explain what happened next.

Her body had worked by itself, she’d later claim. Reflexively turning around, she reached down and kissed him square on the lips. For a moment after they’d both stared at each other in stunned silence, and then with a smirk Severus pulled her down for a proper kiss.

On her first day on the job, Hermione Granger arrived late to class.


End file.
